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>> Tuesday, February 23, 2010

What I love about my real job is that it affords me the luxury of living in one of my favorite cities and visiting my all-time favorite city, New York. Not to mention the fact that some of my co-workers are serious foodies and give me great suggestions of new places to try like Po(thanks Megan!). Po is a quaint little place in the heart, and I mean heart, of the West Village. Tucked away on the adorable Cornelia street this tiny eatery boasts fresh Italian cuisine. According to their website most of their ingredients are hand delivered to the restaurant from the surrounding shops. With such greats as Murray's Cheese, Amy's Bread etc. near by, you know you are in for a treat.

I was meeting my two dear friends and serious foodies, Maggie and Brad. Before trying out a new restaurant I always feel a tinge of pressure - what if it's not good? Do I pretend I hate it so I don't look like a fool or take it down in flames with me? Lucky for me this was not a problem at Po.

I was greeted by a warm host who offered to take my bag and my jacket immediately (a big deal in the North, especially for me because I hate feeling bulky and bad service). I walked quickly to the back of the restaurant where Maggie and Brad has already ordered the white bean bruschetta. The creamy white beans and the tang of the fruity olive oil was a big hit with my taste buds. Not to mention the bread was chewy and delicious.

After several minutes of debate we all decided on our main courses. All three of us opted for something different:

Honestly, everything was perfection. I am a big fan of a salty and sweet combination and my pasta was giving me just that. The salty duck with the sweet pasta made for a very rich and hearty dish. I was full about half way through, but it was so good I pushed through the pain and finished the entire dish. There really is nothing better than fresh, homemade pasta. Maggie's porcini cod echoed the same flavors of salty and sweet, with the salty porcinis on the sweet cod mixed with bitter kale and sweet red pepper vinaigrette. Brad's braised short rib dish was a very full and robust dish. The meat was sincerely sliding off the bones and was so tender no knife was needed. The polenta was so creamy and meshed perfectly with the meat. For me the carrots were a nice side note, but definitely not the star.

Probably the best part of the meal was receiving the check and having sticker shock - but in a good way. For all three of us to eat this fabulous meal with appetizers, entrees, and several glasses of wine was about $40 a person; unheard of by New York standards. Po will be my new go-to restaurant when people ask me for amazing Italian in the city.